diff --git a/common/com/twitter/intellij/pants/model/TargetAddressInfo.java b/common/com/twitter/intellij/pants/model/TargetAddressInfo.java
index b69b7cb80..1e673ed64 100644
--- a/common/com/twitter/intellij/pants/model/TargetAddressInfo.java
+++ b/common/com/twitter/intellij/pants/model/TargetAddressInfo.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 package com.twitter.intellij.pants.model;
 
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ public String getInternalPantsTargetType() {
     return pants_target_type;
   }
 
+  @VisibleForTesting
   public void setPantsTargetType(@NotNull String type) {
     pants_target_type = type;
   }
@@ -96,4 +98,6 @@ public boolean isPython() {
   public boolean isJarLibrary() {
     return StringUtil.equals("jar_library", getInternalPantsTargetType());
   }
+
+  public boolean isTargetAlias() { return pants_target_type != null && (pants_target_type.equals("alias") || pants_target_type.equals("target"));}
 }
diff --git a/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraph.java b/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraph.java
index 12e491b4d..915842c4b 100644
--- a/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraph.java
+++ b/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraph.java
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 package com.twitter.intellij.pants.service.project.model.graph;
 
 
+import com.google.common.collect.Queues;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.twitter.intellij.pants.PantsException;
 import com.twitter.intellij.pants.service.project.model.TargetInfo;
 
+import java.util.ArrayDeque;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
@@ -89,18 +91,36 @@ public int getMaxDepth() {
     }
   }
 
+  private Set<BuildGraphNode> expandAliasTargets(Set<BuildGraphNode> initialTargets) {
+    Set<BuildGraphNode> results = Sets.newHashSet();
+    ArrayDeque<BuildGraphNode> q = Queues.newArrayDeque(initialTargets);
+    while (!q.isEmpty()) {
+      BuildGraphNode curr = q.pop();
+      if (curr.isAliasTarget()) {
+        q.addAll(curr.getDependencies());
+      }
+      else {
+        results.add(curr);
+      }
+    }
+    return results;
+  }
+
   // level 0 - target roots
   // level 1 - target roots + direct deps
   // ...
   public Set<BuildGraphNode> getNodesUpToLevel(int level) {
     // Holds the current scope of build graph.
     Set<BuildGraphNode> results = getTargetRoots();
+    results.addAll(expandAliasTargets(results));
+
     for (int i = 0; i < level; i++) {
       Set<BuildGraphNode> dependencies = new HashSet<>();
       for (BuildGraphNode node : results) {
         dependencies.addAll(node.getDependencies());
       }
       results.addAll(dependencies);
+      results.addAll(expandAliasTargets(dependencies));
       // All nodes are in, no need to iterate more.
       if (results.size() == allNodes.size()) {
         break;
diff --git a/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphNode.java b/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphNode.java
index f71afe816..8d1f78cea 100644
--- a/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphNode.java
+++ b/src/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphNode.java
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ public boolean isTargetRoot() {
     return myTargetInfo.getAddressInfos().stream().anyMatch(TargetAddressInfo::isTargetRoot);
   }
 
+  public boolean isAliasTarget() {
+    return myTargetInfo.getAddressInfos().stream().anyMatch(TargetAddressInfo::isTargetAlias);
+  }
+
   public void addDependency(BuildGraphNode node) {
     myDependencies.add(node);
   }
diff --git a/tests/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphTest.java b/tests/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphTest.java
index dacab99c8..3170a0cc0 100644
--- a/tests/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphTest.java
+++ b/tests/com/twitter/intellij/pants/service/project/model/graph/BuildGraphTest.java
@@ -104,14 +104,71 @@ public void testOrphan() throws Exception {
     }
   }
 
-  private void injectTargetInfo(
+  public void testTargetAliasExpansion1() {
+    // a -> b
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "a", "source", "target", IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.empty());
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "b", "source", "java_library", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("a"));
+    // a (root) -> b, level 1
+    assertEquals(1, new BuildGraph(targets).getMaxDepth());
+    // because 'a' is an alias, so its deps will automatically get expanded if 'a' is included.
+    assertEquals(2, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(0).size());
+  }
+
+  public void testTargetAliasExpansion2() {
+    // a -> b
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "a", "source", "alias", IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.empty());
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "b", "source", "java_library", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("a"));
+    // a (root) -> b, level 1
+    assertEquals(1, new BuildGraph(targets).getMaxDepth());
+    // because 'a' is an alias, so its deps will automatically get expanded if 'a' is included.
+    assertEquals(2, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(0).size());
+  }
+
+  public void testTargetAliasExpansion3() {
+    // a -> b
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "a", "source", "java_library", IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.empty());
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "b", "source", "target", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("a"));
+    // a (root) -> b, level 1
+    assertEquals(1, new BuildGraph(targets).getMaxDepth());
+    assertEquals(1, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(0).size());
+    assertEquals(2, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(1).size());
+  }
+
+  public void testTargetAliasExpansion4() {
+    // a -> b -> c
+    //      b -> d
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "a", "source", "java_library", IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.empty());
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "b", "source", "target", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("a"));
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "c", "source", "java_library", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("b"));
+    injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(targets, "d", "source", "java_library", !IS_TARGET_ROOT, Optional.of("b"));
+    // a (root) -> b, level 1
+    assertEquals(2, new BuildGraph(targets).getMaxDepth());
+    // depth 0 only has target 'a'
+    assertEquals(1, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(0).size());
+    // depth 1 initially has 'a' & 'b', but because 'b' is an alias, its deps 'c' & 'd' will be added'
+    assertEquals(4, new BuildGraph(targets).getNodesUpToLevel(1).size());
+  }
+
+  private void injectTargetInfoWithInternalPantsTargetType(
+    Map<String, TargetInfo> targets,
+    String targetAddress,
+    String targetType,
+    String internalPantsTargetType,
+    boolean is_target_root,
+    Optional<String> dependee
+  ) {
+    TargetInfo info = injectTargetInfo(targets, targetAddress, targetType, is_target_root, dependee);
+    info.getAddressInfos().stream().forEach(s -> s.setPantsTargetType(internalPantsTargetType));
+  }
+
+  private TargetInfo injectTargetInfo(
     Map<String, TargetInfo> targets,
     String targetAddress,
-    String type,
+    String targetType,
     boolean is_target_root,
     Optional<String> dependee
   ) {
-    TargetInfo source = TargetInfoTest.createTargetInfoWithTargetAddressInfo(type);
+    TargetInfo source = TargetInfoTest.createTargetInfoWithTargetAddressInfo(targetType);
     source.getAddressInfos().forEach(s -> s.setIsTargetRoot(is_target_root));
 
     //getTarget here is actually getting dependencies :/
@@ -124,5 +181,6 @@ private void injectTargetInfo(
     }
 
     targets.put(targetAddress, source);
+    return source;
   }
 }